Auxiliary water storage tank for clothes washing machines and the like



June 21, 1955 I J. F. OLES 2,711,189

AUXILIARY WATER STORAGE TANK FOR CLOTHES WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 25, 1952 AUXILIARY WATER STORAGE TANK FOR ghETHES WASHING MACHINES AND THE Joseph F. Oles, Bellwood, 11L, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application August 25, 1952, Serial No. 306,276 4 Claims. (Cl. 137-576) This invention relates to an improved water storage tank for washing machines of the type in which the water used by the machine for the various-washing and rinsing operations is discharged from the machine by a powerdriven pump.

It is the general practice for users of washing machines to separate the lightly soiled garments and articles from those more heavily soiled, and to process each group individually. Often times the spent wash-water from the lightly soiled batch is suitable for washing-or at least presoaking-heavily soiled garments such as work clothes or childrens play clothes. Various means have been proposed for saving the wash-water from the lightly soiled garments for subsequent reuse. It is accordingly a main object of my invention to provide a water re-use system comprising an accessory water tank for association with a washing machine of any type provided with a pump for the removal of spent water.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a water-saving auxiliary tank which may be used with automatic washing machines, in which washing and rinsing operations are carried out according to a time schedule controlled by time-cycle switching means.

It is yet another object of my invention to provide a water-saving tank which will efiectivelylimit the dilution of the stored wash-water by subsequent discharges of rinsing water.

It is still another object of my invention to provide a water-storage tank having a simplified valve means for emptying the tank when desired.

In a presently preferred embodiment of my invention, I provide a multi-chambered tank which may be mounted suitably above the washing machine and a stationary tub or other drain-provided fixture for gravity flow thereinto. A major storage chamber, in which the majority of the wash-water is stored, communicates with a smaller inlet chamber via a passage at the bottom of the respective compartments. Adjacent the inlet chamber and in communication therewith only over the top of an imperforate wall separating the two, is a drain chamber having a per- 7 manently open drain port from which a hose or other conduit leads to the stationary tub or other drainage fixture. From the storage chamber leads a valve-controlled conduit arranged to empty into the tub or water reservoir of the washing machine. The discharge from the washing machine is brought through a suitable conduit into the top of the inlet chamber.

When the washing machine is to be emptied, either by the manual or automatic operation of its discharge pump, the wash-water will enter the inlet chamber, whence it flows through the bottom passage to the storage chamber. At the end of the discharge, the storage chamber and the inlet chamber will jointly contain the wash-water, and it is contemplated that the free limit of the wash-water will be below the point of overflow into the discharge chamber. Subsequent additions of water, such as water for rinsing operations, will also enter the inlet chamber, but 'will so quickly raise the water level thereof to the point of overflow that there will be little dilution of the water in the major storage chamber, which remains there until manual operation of its control valve efiects its return to the washing machine.

Other features and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a nited States Patent 2,711,189 Patented June, 21, 1955 presently preferred embodiment thereof read in the light of the accompanying drawings in which: I

Fig. l is a somewhat schematic representation of my invention arranged for operation with a washing machine and a stationary tub or other drain-provided fixture;

Fig. 2 is a side sectional elevation of the auxiliary water storage tank taken on lines 2-2 of Fig. l and having a portion of an intermediate wall of the tank broken away to reveal underlying structure;

Fig. 3 is a side sectional elevation taken on lines 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan section taken on lines 4-4 of Fig. 3.

In Fig. l, the clothes-washing machine 1 is intended to be representative of any standard type in which the articles to be laundered are placed in a tub or drum (not shown) for agitation and movement through water contained in an appropriate'receptacle (not shown). A door 2 .in the outer casing provides for the introduction and removal of the work, and it will be understood that the open door.

will also afford access to the water container. The machine may be emptied of its water content by suitable drainage connections (not shown) and a pump (not shown) discharging into a suitable discharge conduit 3. Water for washing and/or rinsing is supplied to the machine through the respective hot and cold waterconnections 4 and 5 which are suitably attached to faucets or the like (not shown) in the building water distribution system. It will be understood that suitable valves (not shown) control the flow of hot and cold water, and pursuant to usual practice, said valves may incorporate thermostatic devices for controlling the temperature of water entering the water receptacle.

Such a washing machine may have manual or automatic control; machines of each type are now so well known in the art as to make further disclosure unnecessary. Assuming automatic control, a typical operational 1 sequence following the filling of the machine with'its initial charge of washing liquid would be: agitate the clothes for a selected washing time; spin or otherwise remove the wash-water from the clothes and pump the spent wash-water from the machine; provide one or more spray rinses during which rinse water is sprayed against the clothes after the wash-water has been removed, but while the washtub is still being spun for the extraction of the rinse water; an overflow rinse in which the washtub is filled to overflowing with rinse water while the clothes are being agitated therein; and a final extraction cycle during which the rinse water as it leavesthe clothes is caught and pumped out of the machine. 1 1

As earlier stated, the present invention provides a receptacle for the spent wash-water, and, in particular, means are provided to limit the dilution of the Washwater by rinse water later discharging into the storage receptacle.

An embodiment of my invention comprises a tank 6 which may be mounted on a supporting wall 7 by any suitable means; for example, by the brackets 8 fastened to said wall. The tank is placed above and convenient to the washing machine 1 and a stationary tub T, the latter being merely representative of a usual laundry fixture having connection to the plumbing waste line of the building. A Wall 9 near one end wall of the tank provides a large storage chamber 10 within which a large proportion of the wash-Water is stored; said wall 9, plus a transverse wall 11, provides in the remaining space an inlet chamber 12 and a discharge chamber 14. Each of said latter chambers are much smaller in volumetric content than the chamber lii. To insulate the warm wash-water in chamber 10 from the relatively cooler water in chambers 12 and/ or 14, wall 9 may comprise spaced walls between which is a dead air space,

as suggested in Fig. 3. Said double wall may extend the 3 may comprehend only the portion 12 thereof, the remainder of the wall 9 being. of single thickness. Wall 11 doesnot extend to the full height of the tank, A removable cover 151m an opening 16 disposed above the inlet chamber 12 and a plurality of vent openings 17 over the chamber 10. Opening 16 receives a discharge fitting 18 'on the end of hose 3, and said cover preferably supports the fitting 18 with its end above the upper edge of the wall ll. Chamber 14 has a bottom opening 20 to which is attached the drain hose 21. Communication between chambers 1i and lZ is provided by the opening 22 at the bottom of wall 9. The said opening is of restricted size'ffor example, of a size just able to accommodate the rate of flow through the discharge fitting 13. Chamber it) has a drain port 23 arranged to 1 be fitted with a hose 24, which may be introduced into the washing machine through the open cover so as to supply the machine with water from the storage chamber, or which may be brought to the tub T in the event itis not desired to re-use said "water.

Drainage control from chamber 1%) may comprise a manually operable valve mechanism having the operating characteristics of a flush tank valve. For example, a bracket 25 extending upwardly from the bottom of the tank has suitable guides 26 for the stem 27 of a ball valve 28; said stem 27 passes freely through a slotted opening 3}) in an actuating lever 31 pivotally mounted on a suitable bracket extending from a Wall of the tank. A rounded head 32 of the stem is engaged by the lever 31 as it is rotated counter-clockwise of Fig. 2, whereupon the ball valve is lifted from its seat. In such a situation the ball valve, being hollow and relatively light, is held off its seat by the water rushing through the port 23, permitting complete evacuation of the tank even though the lever 31 has returned to original position. A con venient method of operating lever 31 to its valve-opening position is by forming said lever as a bellcrank and having its arm 33 terminate in a pivoted head plate 34 whichrests against a water-tight, flexible, diaphragm 35 suitably mounted about a neck 36 formed in the tank wall. The diaphragm 35 may have a gasketlike head 37 seated in an annular pocket about said neck and be secured the-rein in leakproof relation by a band 38. It Will be obvious that manually depressing diaphragm 35 will elfect the necessary counter-clockwise rotation of lever 31, and that upon release of the diaphragm the lever will return by gravity to its Fig. 2 position.

Assuming the apparatus to be set up as in Fig. 1, spent Wash-water being pumped from the washing machine will discharge into inlet chamber 12 whence it will flow into the main storage chamber 19. Valve 26 being seated, the respective chambers will fill uniformly. In a typical washing machine, the washwater volume is about 16 gallons, and it is preferred that the total volume of chambers 10 and 12 be such that the water level L after filling will be below the upper edge 40 of wall ll. Chamber 10 should have several times the volumetric capacity of the inlet chamber. removed from the washing machine, there are successive rinsing stages, after each of which the rinse water is extracted from the clothes and pumped from the machine. In a manually operated washing machine, the operator would be present, and before starting the rinse operation, could unhook the discharge fitting 18 from the tank 6 and place it on the wall of tub T to permit the rinse water to drain into the tub. In automatic operation, however, the machine is unattended, and it is a feature of my invention that the rinse water overflows into the discharge chamber 14 before it can seriously dilute the wash-water in chambers 10 and 12. I

For example, it will be assumed that the wash-water level is at L in tank 6 at the time rinse Water flows into chamber 12. The water level in chamber 12 will quickly rise to the overflow point and because the flow over the weir-like edge 40 is accomplished with much less re- After the wash-water has been sistance than how through the relatively more restricted opening 22, the rinse water will not penetrate greatly into the water in chamber 12 before overflow into discharge chamber 14 occurs, and there will be little if any dilution of the wash-water in chamber 10.

If a new load of clothes is then to be washed and the stored wash-water re-uscd, the drain valve operator 35 is pressed to release the stored water for flow to the If, on the other hand, the stored water is not to be used, it may conveniently be drained washii g machine.

charging from the machine at the conclusion of a rinsing 3 cycle will fill the inlet and storage chambers with rela..

tively clean water. This water may; be drained to the tub at once and later discharges of rinsing water per mitted to fill chambers 10 and 12 for subsequent drainage therefrom, or a first accumulation of rinse Water may be temporarily held in the tank 6, Later rinse water discharges would overflow into the discharge chamber to clean it, and eventually the chambers 10 and 1-2 maybe drained of their rinse water content.

While there has been described what are at present con-,

sidered to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that various-modifications maybe made therein, and it is intended t o cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall with-in the true spirit and scope of the invention;

I claim: a i

I. As a new article of manufacture, an auxiliary liquid tank for the reccptionof liquid discharging from a washing machine or the like, said tank having internal wall means subdividing the same into an inlet chamber into which said liquid discharges, an adjacent discharge chamber, and a main storage chamber, said inlet and storage chambers being in communication by passage means through the wall between said chambers'at the lowtpoint of said wall and said discharge chamber being in com munieation with said inlet chamber only over a wall separating said chambers, said wall extending substantially the full height of said tank, means for draining'said'discharge chamber, and hose means for conducting liquid: from said storage chamber to a desired point of disposi-.

tion.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an auxiliary liquid tank for the reception of liquid discharging from a washing machine or the like, said tank having internal wall means subdividing the same into an inlet chamber, an adjacent discharge chamber, and a main storage chamber, said inlet and storage chambers being in communication by passage means through an insulated wall between said chambers at the low point of said wall and said discharge chamber being in communication with said inlet chamber only over a wall separating said chambers, said wall extending substantially the full height of said tank, means for draining said discharge 'chainber, hose means for conducting liquid from said storage chamber to a desired point of disposition, a manually controllable valve disposed within said storage chamber for controlling flow from said chamber, and means accessible externally of:

said valve for operating the same.

3. An auxiliary liquid tank as in claim 1, in which the'.

flow capacity of the passage between the inlet and storage chambers is moderately in excess of the rate of discharge of liquid into said inlet chamber.

4. An auxiliary liquid tank as in claim 1, in which the flow capacity of the passage between the inflow and discharge chambers is substantially in excess of the flow capacity of the passage between the said infiow and storage chambers.

No references cited. 

